VIRGINIA BEACH
The tight 21st District race took several dramatic turns Thursday, with a raucous rally outside the voter registrar's office, allegations of vote-count irregularities and finally a court order to temporarily stop a review of absentee ballots.
The order, requested by incumbent Del. Bobby Mathieson, who is down by 16 votes, was delivered to the registrar's office about
3:30 p.m. It stopped "official counting or certification of the absentee ballots" for up to seven days, which will likely also delay any potential recount in the race between the Democrat and Republican Ron Villanueva.
Mathieson's camp requested the order because of concerns with how election officials handled the absentee ballots Tuesday night, said Jeffrey A. Breit, the Norfolk attorney and former Democratic state party official who filed the request.
"The process has question marks," Breit said.
Republican officials charged that Mathieson and the Democrats were trying to delay the certification of the vote and Villanueva's eventual win with the court order and the mid-day rally of Democrats chanting "Count my vote" and "This isn't Florida."
"This is a delaying tactic to stop the inevitable," said Gerry Scimeca, Villanueva's campaign manager.
Chief Circuit Court Judge Frederick Lowe issued the order after receiving two affidavits, including one from Virginia Beach Commissioner of Revenue Phil Kellam.
Kellam, a Democrat, said that on Tuesday night he asked the Virginia Beach voter registrar for documentation on any rejected absentee ballots and was told she couldn't provide those. After a Republican witness to the absentee ballot count said Villanueva had won by 16 votes, Kellam and another Democrat went to the room where officials were counting the vote, according to the affidavit.
Kellam said he asked to see the reasons for the rejected ballots. The elections officials scrambled to find the log book that listed the rejected ballots and the reasons for them, he said. Workers rummaged through the trash looking for the information, said Kellam, who showed the media two photos that he said his personal assistant took of the search.
Pat Harrington, the voter registrar, said the missing log sheet for the rejected absentee ballots related to the 85th District, not the 21st.
Because of concerns regarding the rejected absentee ballots, Harrington got permission Thursday from the Virginia State Board of Elections to review them.
That review was stopped by the judge's order a couple hours later. Breit said he was unaware of Harrington's request to the state board. He was concerned the city's elections officials were rushing to certify the results. Once the results are certified, even with a recount, access to the rejected absentee ballots will be limited, Breit said.
"We don't want the door to be closed behind us," Breit said.
Deirdre Fernandes, (757) 222-5121, deirdre.fernandes@pilotonline.com
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insults?
You should be ashamed of yourself for calling anybody retarded. What the heck is wrong with you? I guess that is an acceptable slang term at your home. For people who have decent values calling anybody a derogatory name is shameful. The term is insulting.
Huh?
What was Phil Kellam doing in the count room in the first place? He's not an election official, at least not in his role commissioner, so why did he have any authority in the first place?
As for the other posts, you guys nailed it when you said neither of these candidates are worthy of a vote. Mathieson has 0 experience, and Villanueva can't be trusted with the public interest - just look at his retarded votes on City Council. Actully, sorry to those that are retarded.
Comparing you to Villanueva is an insult to you guys...
Leave the seat open until next year.
Investigate this too
Yes. Why was kellam there? What was is role in being in that room? And why was his personal assistant allowed there to snap pictures?
Right or wrong with what the election officials might have been doing, there were authorized people there from both parties monitoring the situation. They were the ones to raise the issue if there indeed was one.
In kellam's power-hungary democrat mind set, what made him think he had any legal authority or electoral right to be there with his secretary and a camera?
Someone please answer me.
Seriously. I'm not criticizing the guy, but can anyone tell me what Mathieson has accomplished? What has he done to deserve the position?
say it again
republicans are sleeping on this one....RV is a closet democrat with a backbone of jello
I wonder if any union people were in room
What is Mathieson's claim to fame? When he was a Va. Beach Police officer about all he was remembered for was his union activities. Maybe he wants to get back to Richmond to help get card check accepted. Also, seems as if he was present at many of the Republician activies years back. Threre is nothing wrong with switching parties but we all have to stand for something, not just attempt to side with what ever party is in the Gov. seat when you run for political office. Anyway, which ever one wins the election they could save the Commonwealth money by selling half the chairs in the house, cut the others in half, and just use one half chair as the job all the members do is half-a_ _ ed!
...Mathieson's claim to fame?
"...Mathieson's claim to fame? When he was a Va. Beach Police officer about all he was remembered for was his union activities."
Not true. Bobby was well known for arresting homosexuals and others in public and retail stores men's rooms for alleged sex offenses and indecent propositions. Check the records. He was very successful at it.
Mathieson is a great person
Mathieson is a great person and has represented the 21st District as well as anyone could. Certainly better than Welch did and better than Villaneuva will.
R.V. has never met anyone with money and power he didn't like. I have follwed CC for many years and have never heard an original idea come out of his mouth. He does show up late or totally miss meetings.....too many meetings. He doesn't do his homework and has only a surface understanding of the issues.
It will be interesting, should RV win, and if Rosemary is elected, will the same developer friendly idea of TIFing the whole state follow them to Richmond?
I'm assuming that those who voted for RV are happy with the state of affairs here in Va Beach...right?
had this been tea baggers,
They would have estimated the crowd at 20,000.
Wrong George
If it had been a conservative or libertarian "protest" the VP would not have reported it at all.
I have a question...
What is Andrew Jackson here going to be chanting when there is a recount and Mr. Villanueva still wins by 16? I only worry that maybe he wont be protesting the wasted efforts and dollars that shall be used in this process to "determine" who won after all the people with Villanueva and Matheison on their ballot already voted and were counted on November 3rd. I know its a problem for me, but Im to busy protesting Pelosicare right now. Priorities, priorities.
Vote Count...a matter of Democracy!
I'm not sure who you were directing your question to but since you referenced me by name, I will try to assist you with what ought to be evident and at least thought about by every citizen of this great nation.
The "very" abbreviated answer is: I want to see this city, state and country grow to its fullest potential and that means a citizenry that realizes the power of true democracy with inclusion in the political process and one where every vote matters. (at the polls, absentee, or provisional)
I just don’t think that is asking too much of our leadership....just honesty and a little work for those that they represent. That’s not asking too much and we the people decide by our votes!
My protest was not about who won or lost, it was about the process of democracy. My actions in this endeavor is called PATRIOTISM.
Let ne leave you with a couple of quotes for you to internalize:
Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of Liberty. – Thomas Jefferson
Those who expect to reap the benefits of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it. – Thomas Paine
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matte
Me too
Conrad, I'm assuming that you felt it was a waste of Bush's time and taxpayers' resources for him to have challenged the vote counts in Florida in 2000? And I'm assuming too that in protesting Pelosicare you're asking that the socialist Medicare be abolished. There's good news. Under the House bill Medicare recipients can give up Medicare for one of the other options in the regional health insurance exchange. Good luck finding a policy that you'll be able to afford.
Politics 101
I was absent that day?Apparently so were 16 others.
no. its just he didnt get
no. its just he didnt get enough votes to win,,,democrats think that if they dont win then someone cheated them.just accept the fact that not enough people voted for him
DITTO!
How do you have the gall to disagree with a democrat? Don't you know they are always correct with their views. If you agree with them, that is bipartianship, but if you disagree you are wrong and you then are called an obstructionist.(And That Is The Nicest they can say).
Importance of your vote
Well this just goes to show you the importance of your Vote. Let tehm protest it is good to do such things and ensures that we have transparency and truthfulness in our electoral process.
Bobby Mathieson is a good man who personally canvassed the streets meeting with his constituents. I did not vote for Bobby because we don't see eye to eye on the 2nd amendment but Bobby is an honorable and good man.
Mr Villanueva we will be expecting that you perform at a higher level and represent your constituents during your term of office and that you MUST be accessible to us. If you are not we will vote you out. Take this job seriously and remember the people you represent and do not disregard the importance of staying in touch and remaining accessible.
expecting to see a change i guess
I doubt if you'll see one IF he gets it.
Wonder where the " protesters " came from?
Astroturf ?
PGA Tour on right path
The Sports Business Journal reported today that the PGA Tour is looking into scenarios in which it would require players to participate in a wider variety of events. The report said the tour may be knocking around a rule similar to the LPGA's, in which golfers have to play in every event on tour at least once every four years.
It would be a great move by the PGA Tour. About time.
The PGA has become a tour of have and have-not events. The ones that get Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are extremely successful. The others are less so, to varying degrees. There are 42 scheduled events on the tour this year, including majors, and Woods and Mickelson will play in about half of them. Imagine in the NBA if Kobe Bryant or LeBron James played in only half the games, and chose to sit out entire series in certain cities. What would that do to attendance?
Players on the tour are independent contractors, but they still have bosses. They are the tournament sponsors who put up millions for the purses. Without them, the tour doesn't exist, and in these times, the players should be grateful to any sponsor who stays on board.
There's been a lot of lip service by the players about improving